Government: "Prior Awareness... Open to Inter-Korean Dialogue and Cooperation"
Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, will attend the 80th anniversary parade commemorating China's victory in the Anti-Japanese War (Victory Day) next month. This will be the first time Kim participates in a multilateral diplomatic event.
Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea (Captured from KCTV screen). Photo by Yonhap News
On the morning of August 28, the Korean Central News Agency announced, "Comrade Kim Jong Un will visit the People's Republic of China to attend the event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War." The report also stated that this visit is at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
On the same day, the Chinese government also officially confirmed Kim's visit. Hong Lei, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, announced at a briefing on preparations for the 80th Victory Day anniversary that a total of 26 heads of state will attend the event, including Kim Jong Un. The list also includes Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as leaders from Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
From South Korea, National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik is expected to attend. The South Korean government stated that it was aware of Kim's visit to China in advance, but did not disclose the specific timing of when it was informed. If this information was obtained prior to the South Korea-U.S. summit, it is possible that the matter was discussed in a private conversation between President Lee Jaemyung and President Donald Trump. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "We have maintained communication with China regarding participation in the Victory Day event, and we were aware of Kim Jong Un's visit through information from relevant agencies. We hope that North Korea-China relations will develop in a way that contributes to the denuclearization, peace, and stability of the Korean Peninsula." The official added, "We remain open to dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas."
Kim Jong Un's participation in a multilateral diplomatic event is unprecedented. Given the nature of the North Korean regime, experts had assessed that it was unlikely for Kim to attend an event with multiple heads of state. Therefore, his attendance at this year's Victory Day is considered highly unusual. In fact, the last time a North Korean leader appeared at an overseas event attended by multiple heads of state was 45 years ago, when the late President Kim Il Sung attended the funeral of Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito in 1980. There were no such precedents during the tenure of Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's late father and former National Defense Commission Chairman.
Yang Moojin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, commented, "This move is a response to recent trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan; it signals the beginning of improved North Korea-China relations following strengthened ties with Russia; it demonstrates socialist solidarity among North Korea, China, and Russia, especially with Putin's attendance; and it shows North Korea's intention to play a key role in this trilateral framework." He added, "We cannot rule out the possibility that this could lead to the formation of a new framework for four-party or six-party cooperation, moving beyond the entrenchment of a new Cold War." Yang also said, "With President Lee Jaemyung's successful visit to the United States and Victory Day as a turning point, Kim Jong Un is also breaking out of isolation and embarking on public diplomatic activities. To ensure that this momentum leads to participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju or a North Korea-U.S. summit, proactive peace diplomacy by neighboring countries led by South Korea is essential."
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